By James Pinkerton |
September 6, 2004

Although the Chinese nationals were economic migrants, their discovery Aug. 16 in downtown McAllen left many with an uneasy feeling. If a large group of men seeking work could be moved across the Rio Grande undetected, why not a squad of terrorists?

''It sure does worry me," said Estella Castillera, whose in-laws own the motel. Although she considers it unlikely terrorists could cross the Texas border, she carefully adds, ''Let's hope not."The flood of illegal migrants also concerns veteran federal agents stationed on the border, who know local smugglers don't care who, or what, they ferry across the shallow river.

''It's so easy to get yourself across from Mexico, you just use the same routes as the dope traffickers," said one federal agent in McAllen who asked not to be identified. "And where's the money to be made — bringing in a pound of marijuana or one Middle Easterner who'll pay $25,000?

''That's the worry, people are seeing there is a lot of money to be made."

The potential threat from hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants, as well as millions of legal border crossers, is one that has federal agencies on alert.

Border inspectors at international bridges are asking more questions, making more extensive checks of cars and trucks with X-ray machines and trained dogs, while Border Patrol agents are watching the border from trucks, boats, planes, all-terrain vehicles and from horseback.

Stepping up patrols

At the Hidalgo-Pharr port of entry, the third largest on the border with 25 million passenger crossings annually, bridge inspectors have tightened up procedures, said assistant port Director Doug Ahern, a supervisor with Customs and Border Protection. ''We've increased inspections in both the cargo and passenger environments," Ahern said.

Security of the port facilities themselves has been enhanced, Ahern said.

Gloria Chavez, a representative at Border Patrol headquarters in Washington said the agency has responded to reports that terrorists will infiltrate the Southwest border, reportedly part of an effort to disrupt the national elections in November with other terror attacks.

''We have been preparing for the possibility and are taking appropriate action to better secure our border against the terrorists, such as increased personnel, technology, infrastructure and equipment," Chavez said.

'Web of enforcement'

There are 9,800 U.S. Border Patrol agents stationed on the southern border — the bulk of the agency's 11,200 agents — and they have erected ''a web of enforcement," Chavez said.

But critics contend little has changed on the border since the 2001 terror attacks.

T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union that represents 6,500 agents, said the government needs to bring additional personnel, equipment and training on line to secure the vast border region. The union official claimed no agents have been hired since March, and next year's budget cuts $19 million from the agency and moves $75 million from operations to technology.

''It's only a matter of time before we are attacked again because, incredibly, nothing has changed. We are doing business on the border as usual," said Bonner, a Border Patrol agent who is stationed near San Diego, Calif.

Agency officials denied the budget was reduced, and said 50 agents are in training at the agency's academy.

Post-9/11 tactics

The challenge of securing the vast, 2,000-mile Southwest border is evident in Texas, where miles of the Rio Grande are not only remote and inaccessible, but screened by thickets of brush.

Longtime agents on the border, including the Laredo Sector's Chief John Montoya, said the post-9/11 tactics include a growing array of high-tech equipment and intelligence-sharing with other branches within the Department of Homeland Security.

"We cannot have a Border Patrol agent stand on every square inch we cover, so we augment that with equipment — infrared cameras, remote surveillance systems, aircraft surveillance, electronic sensors," said Montoya. ''We have implemented and deployed much more technology to augment the inspectors who have the immediate responsibility of protecting the border."

But according to Montoya, as well as other agents, there are no guarantees that determined terrorists won't slip by.

"It would be very difficult, but again, there is no foolproof method to prevent someone from coming in if they happened to hit all the right strokes of luck," he said.

A challenge

Because of a lack of space in that and other detention centers, immigration officials have released thousands of non-Mexican migrants — 23,222 of the 57,633 detained this year — on their own recognizance after obtaining a promise to appear before an immigration judge.

More than 70 percent fail to show up for their court dates, agency officials have confirmed.

Ortiz, who fears terrorists can mingle with economic migrants, has demanded the government halt these releases but he acknowledged it will add ''billions " to the detention budget. He said the camp contained undocumented migrants from Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan, India, Panama and Sri Lanka.